Ohio at High Risk of Identity Theft: Urged to Enroll with Debix

If you live in the great state of Ohio, you have likely heard the story in the news about the state intern who lost a disk containing thousands of peoples' personal information.

"It was announced that a data device containing state workers' personal info had been given to an Ohio state intern who reported it missing after his vehicle was burglarized. At the time, officials reported that the data pertained to 64,000 state employees."

Myself, in addition to the other four people in my family, have received letters from the state. These letters stated that our names were on the stolen disk, and while it can't be confirmed that this disk is accessible to the thief, we are recommended to sign up with Debix. Debix is a company that specializes in reducing or limiting the effects of identity theft. Out of the kindness of their hearts, the state has said they would provide this service to us for one year free of charge.

That sounds great, the only problem is most identity thefts don't occur for several years after the information is stolen. Who knows when this thief will be able to access the information. The other problem is, once you are a victim it is likely to be a recurring crime. So basically, a one year membership will not do a whole lot of good.

My next problem with Debix is, they don't offer much as far as identity theft restoration after the crime has occurred. They will send you a do-it-yourself kit to get the problem corrected. Now yes, you can actually restore you own identity, BUT the problem is the amount of time it takes. Most of the agencies and creditors you need to call are open regular business hours, so those of us working our 9-5's would have to either have to make these calls at work, or take time off.

So as you can tell, I don't think to highly of Debix. I prefer the company I use because they offer 100% restoration. They also monitor more than just my credit report. They also check public records, medical records, postal records, and driver records. Anytime there is a change to any of these, they email me with the details.

Identity Theft-More Than Credit Fraud

Identity theft can affect far more than your credit score. Yes, someone stealing your information and using it to buy a house in your name or open multiple lines of credit can be devastating to your financial situation and your credit. But most people don't realize that there are other dangers to identity theft that can be just as detrimental and sometimes even worse.

If you lose your wallet, or your social security number gets stolen, someone could commit crimes under your name. I know someone who was pulled over and arrested right in front of his home, because he had warrants out for murder and rape charges on his record. Of course he told the officer's that it wasn't him, but who doesn't say that? Because of the fact that he was arrested on a Friday, he had to spend the weekend in jail until he could see a judge on Monday. He was soon released when the police realized that the man they were looking for was black, and my friend was white.

Also, someone can get treated at a hospital using your identity, thus adding their medical conditions to yours. Now if this person had a blood type that is not compatible with yours, or is diabetic, or has AIDS, you can see where this would be a serious problem when you go in for treatment. Society is very database driven and a doctor will treat you based on what your record says.

Identity theft is a growing problem and will probably continue to get worse. The conviction rate of identity thieves is less than 5%. Law enforcement agencies just simply do not have the time or manpower to track down each individual identity theft criminal.

The Threat of Identity Theft

Identity Theft is becoming an increasing problem in the United States in recent years. Criminals are finding new ways to use your personal information to destroy your life. Identity theft is a fairly easy crime to commit, the majority of identity thieves, less than 5%, are actually caught and convicted. It is a huge strain on law enforcement offices because they simply do not have the man power to dedicate to your individual case.

I protect my personal information, I shred my documents, so I can't be a victim to identity theft, right? Wrong, this is what most people believe to be true, but in reality, identity theft can happen to anyone.

* Do you hand your credit card to servers at restaurants?
* Do you sign your credit card?
* Do you supply personal information over the internet?
* Do you leave mail at your home or business for the postal carrier to collect?
* Do you shred unwanted mail containing personal information?

Of course, regular monitoring of your credit can greatly help early detection of identity theft. But what do you do from there, who do you contact if you find out you are a victim? If the police are too busy to help you, who can, and at what cost?

Identity theft can do much more than destroy your credit. That is just one of the five areas of identity theft, although it's the one we hear about most often. The five area include, Financial, Criminal or Character, Medical, Driver's License, and Social Security.

Someone I know was pulled over for a simple traffic violation. When the officer ran his driver's license he found that my friend was wanted for rape and battery charges. He was arrested and taken to jail. He was released soon after because they realized the man they were looking for was black and my friend was white. So?eone had taken his information and committed these crimes in his name.

According to recent government regulation in health care, known as HIPA, it's now even easier for someone to steal your medical identity. If someone walks into a hospital and tells the receptionist that his name is Fred, and the receptionist knows he is lying and his name is really Bill, she can not tell anyone, due to HIPA regulation. So what happens when you are Fred, and Bill stole your medical identity and is using it to get treatment? All Bill's medical information gets recorded as yours, Fred's. Then what happens when you are involved in a serious car accident and are rushed to the ER for a blood transfusion and Bill's isn't compatible with Fred's. You could die.

I know another couple who recently retired after putting in 30 years with Ford Motor Company. They decided to take advantage of their employee discount and purchased a new Lincoln. Well, when Ford Motor Credit ran their credit report they found out that the couple owned a house in Dallas they didn't even know about. Someone had stolen their identity and purchased a house, which was now in default.

There are thousands of illegal immigrants coming across the border every year all looking for work. Well what do you need to work any job in the United States...a Social Security number. There is a huge market right now for the sales of Social Security numbers. Organized crime is placing people in cleaning companies that can gain full access to your personal information stored at your doctor's office, your insurance agent, your mortgage broker, etc.

You may do an excellent job protecting your personal information, but what about everyone else who has access to it? Can you trust them to be as careful as you are?

So what can you do to stop identity theft? Nothing, you can't stop identity theft, but you can takes steps to find it early and get it cleared up.